


this is the sound of my soul (this is the sound)

by reddies_spaghetti



Category: IT (2017), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Alternate Universe, Bill is an asshole, Bisexual Richie Tozier, Eventual Smut, First Kiss, First Meetings, Fluff, Gay Eddie Kaspbrak, M/M, Meet-Cute, Minor Angst, Mutual Pining, Pining, Richie works on SNL, Sixteen Candles references, and drives a Chevrolet Camaro
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-13
Updated: 2018-08-13
Packaged: 2019-06-27 01:28:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,436
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15675285
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reddies_spaghetti/pseuds/reddies_spaghetti
Summary: After a crappy night out, Beverly arranges Eddie a lift home by one of her closest friends, Richie. What occurs afterwards changes Eddie's life forever.





	this is the sound of my soul (this is the sound)

**Author's Note:**

> I know I have like...eight unfinished projects but....have another one! I don't know how many chapters this will be but here we go, enjoy anyway! 
> 
> the title is taken from the song "True" from "Sixteen Candles" soundtrack.

Eddie nursed his drink, trying to resist the urge to place his head on the bar and fall asleep. It had been a long day, too long for that matter, and all Eddie wanted to do was get a plain double cheeseburger from McDonalds and go home to bed. The music was blasting out of the speakers in the club and out of the corner of his eye, Eddie could see Bill swaying his hips from side to side, a glass of whatever in one hand as a random guy danced with him. Across the dance floor, Beverly was chatting to the DJ, probably convincing him to put on some really cheesy song.

It was a Saturday night, and as he had mentioned before, it had been a  _long_ day.

“Eddie!” Beverly’s voice cut through his thoughts and he held back a groan as she wrapped her hand around his wrist to pull him up towards the dance floor. “Come dance!”

“Bev, I really don’t-” Eddie protested but Beverly wasn’t having it as she pulled him into the middle of the dance floor and spun him under her arm. “I’m ready to head home, Bev.”

“No! The nights still young yet Eddie! Please just another hour and then we’ll head home okay?” Bev begged, blinking her large puppy eyes at him and Eddie sighed. “I’ve even got a friend who’ll come pick you up and take you home since you missed the last train!”

“Fine. One more hour and then I’m going home okay?” At the thought of staying in the club for another hour made him want to claw his eyes out, but if Bev promised him a ride home then he didn’t have any other option. He really didn’t want to pay $50 for a taxi home.

Beverly let out a squeal and downed the drink in her hand, sitting it on the side table before rejoining Eddie as “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” boomed through the speakers. Just as he was about to start dancing, another hand wrapped around his wrist and pulled him away from Beverly.

“E-Eddie! I’ve got someone I-I think you should m-meet!” Bill cut in and Eddie’s eyes widened, shaking his head.

“No, no, no. Bill not a chance, you’re not setting me up with anyone Bill. No,” he protested, ripping his arm out of his friends grip. “Absolutely not.”

“O-Oh come on E-Eddie!” Bill pleaded. “H-He’s just your t-type!”

“I don’t care if he’s my soulmate, I’m not interested Bill,” Eddie insisted, but it was as though Bill couldn’t even hear him as he was being dragged over to the bar before he could even finish his sentence. “Bill-”

“Greg this is E-Eddie. Eddie t-this is Greg!” Bill grinned and shoved Eddie forward before winking in his direction and disappearing back onto the dance floor.

Eddie wondered how he did it. He had been friends with Bill since kindergarten and he had grown up watching him evolve from being the nervous boy with a stutter to the…confident man with a stutter. Apparently girls and guys found his stutter a turn on. He cleared his throat and turned to Greg, holding out his hand.

“Eddie.”

Greg smiled and shook his hand. “Greg. Can I buy you a drink, Eddie?”

“Vodka orange, please,” Eddie replied with a smile and slipped onto the bar stool next to Greg. Less than ten seconds later, the drink was passed over to him and the conversation began to flow.

Well, somewhat.

Greg was a nice guy, he was smart and decent looking but he wasn’t anywhere near Eddie’s type. They had absolutely nothing in common, not a single thing. Greg was into football, partying and electronic music, and Eddie was not. The whole twenty minutes he spent talking to Greg, he wanted nothing more than to find an excuse to leave.

His chance came a few moments later when Bev stumbled into the bar right between them, breaking their conversation. Eddie breathed out a sigh of relief and slipped off of the stool and brushing his hands down his thighs. “I’m just going to the bathroom, I’ll be right back.”

Greg nodded his head, clicking his fingers at the barman and ordered some more drinks as Eddie backed up, heading to the bathroom. He stopped at the sinks, staring at his reflection in the mirror, at the hairstyle that was long destroyed thanks to the humidity in the club.He turned on the cold water tap and splashed his face with the water, cooling his face down immediately. Maybe he could apologise to Greg and find Bev, she did promise him a ride home and he was definitely ready for home.

He gave his reflection one more look over before he left the bathroom, heading back over to the bar to bid Greg a goodbye. Yet as he stepped back into the line of sight, he froze up, his eyes widening to the size of saucers. At the bar, sitting on the stool that Eddie had not long vacated, was Bill...with his tongue down Greg’s throat.

Now, yes Eddie was planning on turning Greg down and heading home, but Bill didn’t know that, and neither did Greg, and yet here they were making out with each other. Bill, his supposed best friend, was making out with the guy he tried to set Eddie up with.

He could feel tears sting at the back of his eyes and he swallowed thickly, lifting his hand up to wipe them over his eyes and cheeks. He shouldn’t have been so affected, it wasn’t ask though he liked Greg, and he most certainly wasn’t planning on going home with him...but that didn’t mean that Bill should have jumped in there before Eddie even had the chance to tell Greg he wasn’t interested himself.

Eddie knew he needed to find Bev, he needed to get the hell out of the club and go home. He would deal with Bill in the morning. He scanned his eyes across the bar, spotting Bev once again by the DJ and he made a beeline for her, grabbing her wrist lightly. “Bev…”

“Eddie! Hey!” Bev grinned, pulling him into a hug. “You’re the best Eddie, I love you.”

“I love you too Bev, but I have to go home,” Eddie spoke, just loud enough for Bev to hear over the thumping music. “Please can you call your friend?”

Bev pouted, but as she met Eddie’s eyes, her expression changed and she nodded, pulling out her phone and typing out a text. “His name is Richie and he is driving a black Chevrolet Camaro. He’ll be here in a few minutes.”

“He drives a _Chevrolet Camaro_?” Eddie asked, shock evident on his face as he stared at Beverly. “What...what does he do to be able to afford a car like that?”

Bev laughed, tossing her head back, “He’s a comedian on Saturday Night Live,” she explained with a wink. “Look, he’s a cool guy, and he’ll take you wherever you want to go okay? You can trust him.”

Eddie knew that Beverly wouldn’t do him wrong, and he really wanted to go home. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Bill drag Greg towards the men’s toilets, and he forced down the need to vomit in disgust. So much for Bill being his best friend. He nodded his head and gave Bev a parting hug, “I’ll see you okay? I had a good night.”

“I’ll call you tomorrow? Maybe we can get breakfast at that diner you’re always hyping up?”

Eddie nodded with a smile and kissed Bev’s cheek, “Sounds like a plan, I’ll see you tomorrow.” He pulled away, giving Bev one final hug before heading to the club door and handing over the ticket for his jacket. By the time he stepped outside into the fresh air, he spotted the black Camaro sitting just across the street, music drifting out from the closed door and slightly rolled down window.

Taking a deep breath, Eddie crossed the street, approaching the car and lightly tapping on the window. It rolled down and Eddie had to hold back the gasp at the man who sat behind the wheel. He had a dark nest of curls on top of his head, a pair of tinted glasses on his face and he was dressed in black jeans and a plain black t-shirt. Eddie swallowed thickly and he inhaled, “Are you Richie?”

The man chuckled and nodded, pulling off the sunglasses and sitting them in the cup holder before tapping the passenger seat. “The one and only, jump on in cutie, I’ll take you wherever you want to go.”

A blush rose up on Eddie’s cheeks, and he was glad it was so dark outside so that Richie couldn’t see. He smiled and rushed around to the passenger seat and climbed in, buckling up. “Thanks, for coming to get me.”

Richie indicated and pulled out of the parking space, heading down the street. Eddie glanced out of the window as the night lights of the city passed him by, closing his eyes. After a few moments, Richie cleared his throat and spoke up, “Look, it’s really not a problem. I usually work nights, so when I’m not working I drive around and give Bev lifts if she’s out clubbing.”

“She told me you’re on Saturday Night Live,” Eddie answered softly and turned his head back to look at Richie. “I’ve never watched it but...I might have to start.”

It was strange, the feeling that was buzzing through Eddie from the second he stepped into the car. It was as though Richie was one half of a magnet, and Eddie was the other half, attempting to pull together. He had never felt anything like it before, not with any guy he had been on dates with, hell, not even with his ex boyfriend.

“Maybe you should come to see one of the shoots,” Richie suggested with a smirk.

“Maybe I will,” he answered and brushed his fingers through his hair.

“Hey, why don’t I treat you to a McDonalds?” Richie offered, raising his eyebrows, tapping his fingers against the wheel.

At the mention of food, Eddie’s stomach growled and he nodded his head, “Oh god yes.”

Richie chuckled and indicated, pulling in to the first McDonalds that he saw and pulled into the drive thru, “What’s your poison?” He asked as he came to a stop outside the order booth.

“Plain double cheeseburger and a strawberry milkshake,” Eddie answered and Richie hummed, ordering for him as well as his own Big Mac and Cola. He pulled away from the order booth and towards the payment window, handing over his credit card. “Wait- no no no, let me pay for my own!”

“Not a chance cutie,” Richie winked and pulled forward, accepting the food from the next window and driving off, parking up in a nearby parking lot. “You look like you’ve had a rough night, the least I can do is buy you a McDonalds.”

Eddie smiled and pulled his burger out of the bag, popping his straw into the milkshake and taking a long sip. He slipped the cup into the holder and unbuckled his seatbelt so he could turn to face Richie properly. “So you just...drive around all night and hope someone texts you for a ride?”

“Not all the time, usually when I know Bev is out,” Richie answered with a shrug, taking a bite of his burger. “So tell me Eddie, what are your interests?”

“Well, I love eighties music, reading, watching movies…” Eddie trailed off as he realised just how lame he was sounding. “I mean...sports, drinking and cars!”

“Hey, there is nothing wrong with cars,” Richie said seriously.

“No...no I know there isn’t anything wrong with cars I’m just-”

“Hey!” Richie cut him off with a smile. “I’m joking,” he winked. Eddie glared at him and elbowed him in the ribs lightly. Richie cackled and through his head back, “Do you have a favourite animal?”

“Well, I love turtles...they are so cute and tiny and I know they don’t do much but they are awesome.”

“I think turtles are amazing,” Richie replied, a fond smile taking over his face.  “What’s your favourite movie?”

“Uh, you have to promise not to laugh at me, but it’s sixteen candles…” Eddie trailed off.

“No way, I _love_ that movie!” Richie exclaimed. “I always say that Bev looks a hell of a lot like-”

“Molly Ringwald?” Eddie questioned

“Molly Ringwald!”

Eddie let out a laugh and Richie followed suit, “That’s amazing,” he breathed out, smiling wide.

Richie nodded his head, running his hands over his pants, “How do you know Bev anyway?”

“She works with my best-” Eddie cut himself off as his thoughts went to Bill, and what he had done that night in the club. Could he really still call Bill his best friend after that? “She works with Bill.”

“Ah, the boy with the stutter. She hooked up with him once I remember,” Richie mused. “He’s your friend?”

“He was my friend...up until earlier tonight,” Eddie whispered, opening his burger and taking a bite. “I don’t think I could call him a friend now.”

“What happened?” Richie asked, tilting his head to the side as he too turned his attention to Eddie.

“He tried to set me up with someone at the club, and I went to the bathroom but when I came back, Bill was making out with the guy he tried to set me up with,” he explained, twirling his straw around to mix up his milkshake. “So yeah, I don’t think I can call him my friend anymore.”

Richie stared at him, blinking a few times before he shook his head, “Hold up, he set you up with a guy, and when you went to pee...he stole him from you? That’s...not cool.”

“I mean, it’s not like I was planning on going home with the guy, but Bill could have at least waited until I had turned him down before he made his move, you know?” Eddie whispered, feeling his throat close up. “I mean, I know I’m not exactly anyone’s first choice but-”

“Woah, I’m going to stop you right there. What makes you think that you wouldn’t be anyone’s first choice?” Richie interrupted him, his eyes wider than before. “I’ve only known you an hour and I think you’re amazing.”

Eddie felt his cheeks flush and he sipped at his milkshake again, “I’m socially awkward, when people compliment me I blush like a fourteen year old, when anyone remotely shows interest in me I get all...weird. Kind of like I’m doing right now.”

Right in that moment, Eddie wanted to disappear into the seat until Richie dropped him off at home and forget all about this night, and Richie. Except, Eddie really didn’t want to forget about Richie, not at all. He inhaled as he felt Richie’s fingers grip his chin, tilting his head up so they were making eye contact, their faces inches from one another. Just then, it felt like the air had left the car and Eddie couldn’t seem to look away from Richie.

“I don’t think you’re weird…” Richie breathed, reaching up to brush a strand of Eddie’s hair out of his face. “I think you’re really amazing.’

Eddie bit his lip and fought back the urge to duck his head away from Richie’s intense gaze. He reached his hand down to pick up his milkshake, but as he did so his hand hit the button to turn on the music.

_Darling you got to let me know_

_Should I stay or should I go?_

_If you say that you are mine_

_I'll be here 'til the end of time_

“I love this song!” Eddie grinned, pushing the empty burger wrappers to the side as he danced in the seat, for the first time in the night, not caring about the fact that Richie was staring at him. That feeling lasted a whole two seconds before he froze, staring at Richie with wide eyes. “Shit-”

Instead of a look of pity radiating in Richie’s eyes, it was awe. “I love this song too!” He grinned and turned up the volume, breaking into song. **“** _This indecision's bugging me (esta indecision me molesta). If you don't want me, set me free (si no me quieres, librame)”_

Eddie laughed and joined in, **“** _Exactly whom I'm supposed to be (digame que tengo ser)/ Don't you know which clothes even fit me? (no sabes que ropas me queda)”_

As the chorus came around, the two of them were rocking out in the front seats of Richie’s Camaro, with no care of who could hear them or see them.

“ _Should I stay or should I go now? (tengo frío por los ojos)_

_If I go there will be trouble (tengo frio por los ojos)_

_And if I stay it will be double_

_Si me quedo sera el doble_

_So ya gotta let me know me tienes que decir_

_Should I stay or should I go?”_

The song came to a close and there was a brief silence as their eyes met once more, the air once again leaving the vicinity. “That was really fun,” Eddie breathed. “Really, really fun.”

Richie smirked, “I did too, we should-”

Eddie never got to find out what Richie was about to say, as someone knocked on the window, breaking them out of the spell they were under. Richie rolled down the window, turning his attention to the person, “Can I help you?”

“You’re blocking my car,” the man said, pointing behind Richie’s car to the one he was blocking in the parking space across from him.

“Right, sorry man,” Richie answered, rolling up his window and reversing out of his space.

As he did so, Eddie glanced at the clock on the dashboard and his eyes widened, “Oh, it’s almost four in the morning,” he gasped, shocked that he was out so late.

“Oh, wow,” Richie cleared his throat. “I’ll take you home yeah? Pop your address into the Sat-Nav.” Eddie tapped his address into the screen on the dashboard and he smiled, “Thanks, Richie.”

The drive back to Eddie’s place was in almost silence, the only noise was the one coming from the radio. An hour ago, Eddie would have hoped that the ride would have been fast and painless, yet now he wanted nothing more than for it to drag in and take as long as possible.

Yet fate was not on his side.

“Well, here we are,” Richie sighed softly as he put the car into park outside Eddie’s apartment building.

“Oh...wow,” Eddie breathed, looking outside to the empty street. “Well, I guess this is where we say goodbye.”

“Yeah, it was really nice meeting you Eddie.”

Eddie looked up at Richie, feeling himself gravitate towards him, “Thanks...for picking me up, and for the McDonalds.”

“You’re welcome, honestly, anytime,” Richie smiled, his hand reaching out, brushing his fingers against Eddie’s.

“Richie I-”

The loud noise of Richie’s phone ringing broke them, once again, out of the spell they were under. Richie winced and clicked on the hand-free, Beverly’s voice screaming through the speakers.

“R-Rich-ie. Richie can- can you come get me!” She sobbed down the line and Richie pinched his nose.

“What’s happened Bev? Is everything okay?”

“I-I’ve had too much to drink Rich-” Bev hiccuped. “I- I don’t know- I don’t know where I live Rich.”

“Okay, okay give me ten minutes and I’ll be there okay?” Richie sighed and shook his head as the phone line went dead. “I’m so sorry.”

“No, no it’s okay, go pick up Bev,” Eddie said softly. “Thanks again, for the ride home.” He leaned over and pressed a kiss to Richie’s cheek. “Bye.”

He never waited for a response, slipping out of the car and closing the door behind him. He paused on the stairs, turning his head back, but as he did, Richie’s car was gone, and Eddie had missed his chance.

Eddie felt a lump form in his throat as he opened his apartment door and slipped inside, locking it behind him. Out of all his failed set-up’s, he had never felt a feeling of emptiness that they hadn’t worked out. Yet here he was, upset, over a guy who just gave him a lift home. Who probably had no intention of ever seeing him again.

Hopefully he had some ice cream in the freezer.


End file.
